Safety starting-crank for explosive-engines.



J. T. WEINZIERL &-J. STURTEVANT. SAFETY STARTING CRANK POE EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.19,

' 1,040,598. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

which ijis normallyhdisconnected engine'shaft, is adapted tobe normally held;

EDiZSTATES-iPATENT lorries. '1 P5 9.24:1: 'EHI .111.- -w I Y .rosnrntlm. wsmmamw cunnrs scrus'rnvnn'r, or NEW xnnsme'ron,

geunsvnvamey .i snrnrir swarms-0mm: son nxrnosrvs-nnemns- ,To all whom it may} concern 1 zrnm. f and Jones STURTEVANT, citizens of the .United Statesand ofthe ,Empire of Germany, respectively, residing at .New Kensington," in the county of Westmoreland and, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Safety Starting-Cranks for explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification,

' Our inventioneonsists of an improvement Specification of Letters Patent. "Application filed December 19,1910. Serial No. 598,058.

Be it known that we, .Jos'srrr T. Wsm- I in safety} starting cranks for explosive en-- 'nes, havingforits object to provide means 15 or actuating the mainsh'aft of an ex l osive engine in, the ,normaldnectxon-o its rotation andprovided with means for imme-v diate automatic; disconnection :of the crank i Generally, f'stated,""."the starting crank, 's m the outw ardly. in disengaged .osition therefrom;

b .splring mechanism an Cit provided with ratchet mechanism to b'e'thrust intoi engagement, with the shaft, and 18= permiti ting the crank to be turned in the directioni ofnormal rotation of theenginc, but efl'ectingthe disconnecting operation by means for shifting the starting crank longitudinally away and in disengagement from the on me shaft. I

n the embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawings of the present a plication: Figure 1 re resents a longitu 1-= nal sectional .view oi e-mechanism in its normal I'GiilaOtCdPOSltlDn. Fig. 2 1s a 81mllar sectional view showing the crank thrust; into rotative engagement. .with the engine Teaser crank 'jshaft' 5. .1 Said jcrank shaft is .frotata'bgg' mountedfiin s hearing or. housing .e' eur Fi 3 is a cross sectional view onpresents the en'ginesshaft provided tolthe' frontfendsill =7 of the chass s of an automobile or other corresponding less, and adapte Patented Oct 8, 1912.

ortion of the framework of any structure in which the engine is used.

Crank shaft 5 is preferably provided with anannular enlar 'ement 8 providing an innershoulder against which bears the end of the retracting spring 9 mounted in a cavity 10 in housing 6 bearing by its other end at the one end of said cavity, against the stationary shoulder 11. Surrounding the crank shaft 5 at the inner end of housing) 6, and fixedly incorporated therewith, as y integral extensions 12 are one or more inwardly extendin abutments 18, formed bly the terminals 0 stud bolts 14 secured in he extensions 12 by nuts 15, or otherwise as desired. Embracing the inner end of crank shaft 5 is a sleeve 16, fixedly secured thereto by any suitable means as a pin 17, together with an additional ring 18, or other limiting device, similarly secured. Loosely mounted around sleeve 16.is a ring 19 havingv a series of annular abutments 20 arranged at an an le'of about 45, more or to inter-engage with the stationary abutments 13 when the shaft 5 is thrustinwa'rdly. Each one of said series of annular. abutments 20 is in efiect an inclined plane which when the crank shaft 5 is thrust inwardly and turned in the normal direction to engage clutches 3, 4, will effect interlocking engagement of the abutments of sleeve ill) with abutments 13, whereby to hold the ring against rotation. On the other hand, when, due to any cause crank shaft 5 is reversed and its motion is imparted to sleeve 16, the rotative action will effect outward travel and disconnection of sleeve 19 from abutments 13, due to the inclination of the inter-engaging inclined abutments 20.

The crank shaft 5 is provided with the usual crank 21 fixedly secured by a pin 22 or otherwise and having a terminal handle, not shown. For the purpose of permitting rotation of the crank by its handle in cranking thev engine shaft 2 in the usual direction, clockwise, without importation of any rotative movement to sleeve 19 and of effecting immediate clutch engagement between the sleeve 16 of shaft 5 and said sleeve 19, upon ;rever'sed movement of the engine shaft and crank 5, due to back firing, etc, a series of rollers or balls 23 are interposed between a rotation of the crank in cran ring independof crankshaft 5', engine shaft 2 will thereby be rotated f in the proper or normal directio'nij the sleeve 16,rotating freely within the interlocking on the inner portion o sleeve 19; These.

rolling bearings-arc of--well -lmown -construc-. tlon and function and are in effect another form of ratchet mechanism ermi'ttingfree cut of sleeve 1. 19,-but effecting immediate engagement therewith fupon reversalof t e engine shaft 2 and the crank shaft 5 and its'crank 21.. By this construction, it will be seen that the crank shaft 5 will be normally held .outwar'dlyby spring:

9, clutches 3, f1 meats 13 and as in'Fig l. When t 1e 0 erator gras s the handle ofcrank 21 and t rusts tie siaft 5 being disconnected, and abut- 'inwardlyythe shaft willrotate slightly in the direction ofthe arrow adue toithe ratcheten agement of bearing surfaces 25 as affected of. the abutments 13-20. lfpon rotation rate ret devices 23. I

Upon occurrence of a back fire in the cylinders or undue resistancefrom anyother cause, and resulting reversal of the engine shaft 2, the crank shaft 5 will also be reversed, whereupon the'immediateetfect is to thrust ing to the number of radial degrees between the terminals of the inclined abutments 20,

.which is very slight, and not sufficient to endan er the operator.

It Will be observed that with the construction as thus shown and described the crank shaft ma be freely rotated in either direction W van. in its outwardlythrust position, quite inde endent of the inter-engaging arts, whic do not become operative unti the crank shaft is first thrust inwardly.

We are aware that it isnot broadly new to utilize cam surfaces and ratchet con trolled elements for effecting a similar,pur-

, oseto that above described, and do not 60 -"vantage of the.pres 'ent construction is that? .the mechan1sm 1s verycompa'ctly assembled; entirely within the inner portion of the hous-;

roadly claim the same. The particular ading 16, and avoiding the .presence of any h g Y fi eleeve-16:and"a.series of re ceiving sockctsfilt havin inclined faces 25 d0 bein likewise disconnected by the interlockin engagementi 'the inner end 0 .1 ousing having a shaftreceivin special-rpartsuat the-outer portion of the crank shaft adj acent= totuthetcran'k.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters'Patent-isz- -:1.--Th e combination with an engine shaft provided with acluteh coupling; of a fixed musing "having an inner abutting surface and an outer cylindrical shaft receiving cav- .ity,-acrank shaft rotatably mounted-Lathe housing having alimited range of longitudinal movement therein and )rovided with a clutch for engagement with t e engine shaft clutch, a spring withinthe housin adapted to hold the crank 'shaftand clutch in normal inoperative position awayfrom the engine shaft clutch, inwardly extending stationary abutments supported by arms extending outwardly and backwardly from the inner end iiousing having an inner abutting surface and an outer cylindrical shaftreceivin cavity, a crank shaft rotatably mountedinxthe housinghaving alimited range oflongitudinal'movement therein and provided with a"'clutch for engagement with."the"engine shaft clutch, a spring'within'thehousing adapted to hold t is crank shaft and clutch innormal ino erativev position away 'from the engine sha t clutch, inwardly extending stationaryabutments supported y arms extending outwardl "and backwardly from p I said housing a sleeve fixedly secured to the inner end of the crank shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted around said sleevehaving an annular series of inclined abutments for engagement with .the first named abutments, said outer sleeve having in its interior one ,or more wedging surfaces, and rolling locking devices inter osed between the-fixedly secured sleeve an the surfaces .of said outer sleeve for effecting interlocking engagementbetween said parts upon reverse movement of the shaft,substantially as set .forth.

3. The combination with an engine shaft EIOVldGd with a clutch coupling; of a fixed cavity in gitudinal alinement with t e engine sha t provided at its end adjacent to'the clutch coupling .thereofwith a bearing face and outwardly and backw'ardly projecting arms carrying fixed inwardly exmnding abutment ,p'ins a 'erank shaft rotatably mounted inthe housing having a'limited range of longtudinal movement therein and provided wi a. terminal clutch adapted for engagement" with *the clutch of the .engine shaft, a, s ring within the housing adapted to hold t e crank shaft and clutch in a normal inoperative position, a. crank secured to the outer end ofthe crank shaft, a sleeve fixedly secured to the inner end of the crank shaft, a sleeve loosely mounted around said sleeve provided with an annular series of inclined abutments for engagement with said pin abutments and huvm on its interior one or more wedgmg sur aces, and mterlocking rolling devices between the fixed nesses.

- JOSEPH T. WEINZIERL.

JULIUS STURTEVANT. Witnesses:

C. M. CLARKE, Cass. S. Lerner.

0231c: of this potent my be obtalned for live cent: each, by addressing; the Commissioner of Patents, Waflilniton, D. 0." 

